Stop-motion for mechanical toys.



.No. 70l,l55. Patented May 27, I902.

A. D. CONVERSE. STOP MOTION FOR MECHANICAL TOYS.

(Application filed Mar. 26, 1901.)

(No Model.)

74 /N VE N 70/? THE uonms PETERS co. PHQTO-LXTHQ.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ATHERTON DpCONVERSE, OF WINCHENDON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STOP-MOTION FOR MECHANICAL TOYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,155, dated May 27,1902.

Application filedlVIarch 26, 1901. Serial No. 52.942. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that'l, ATHERTON D. CON- VERSE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Vinchendon, in the county of Worcester andState of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Stop-Motion forMechanical Toys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to a stop-motion for mechanical toys; and thepurpose of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, economic, andeffective means whereby when the motor of a mechanical toy is wound upthe motor will not act upon the axle or wheel of the toy with which itis connected until the toy is brought in contact with the support uponwhich it is adapted to travel.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a means whereby themotor connected with the vehicle, especially a toy vehicle, will bebrought into action by the weight of the vehicle when the vehicle restsupon the surface over which it is to travel and whereby the motor willnot act while the wheels of the vehicle are out of engagement with atrack or other surface.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as-will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy vehicle and the improvementapplied thereto. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the vehicle and theimproved device,illustrating the stop-motion out of action. Fig. 3 is aview similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating the stop-motion in position tocheck the operation of the motor employed. Fig. 1 is a section ontheline 44of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

A represents the body of the vehicle; B and O, the axles; D, thesupporting-wheels secured to the axles, and E represents a springmotorwhich motor is connected with the axle B through the medium of gearing10 and 11, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Theframe 12 of the motor E isloosely mounted on the axle B, at one end while the other end of theframe 2 of the motor is pivotally connected with thebottom portion ofthe vehicle-body or body of the toy by means of a hanger 13 of anydescription.

The pedestals 15 for the axle B are proends of the slots 14 in thepedestals 15. One of,

the pedestals 15 is provided with inwardly pointed or tapering stop-lugs16, and,as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, this lug usually. occupies ahorizontal position. The stop-lug 16 is adapted to engage with one ofthe teeth 18 of a ratchetwheel 17, the ratchet-Wheel being secured tothe axle B, and such engagement occurs when the vehicle is raised fromthe support on which it is to travel, and the weight of the motor forcesthe axle B downward. When such a contact occursbetween the stop-lug 16anda tooth of the ratchet-wheel17,.the motor, even when its springiswound to its utmost,-will'have no influence on the driving-axle B,thuspreventing the waste of power which usually occurs during the interim ofwindingthe motor and placing the wheels of the toy or vehicle on thesupport upon which it is to travel. It will be understood that insteadof the ratchet wheel one or more projections may be formed upon the axleto engage the stop-lug 16.

Under the improved construction shown tion in Fig. 3 and out ofaction inFig. 2.

It will be observed that the stop-motion above described is exceedinglysimple and economic and that it is applicable to any toy which isoperated by a motor of any description or which is to travel uponwheels. I desire it to be understood that the character of the motor maybe varied at will.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A vehicle provided with a motor for impartingmotion'to sundry of the wheels, and a check for the wheels, brought intoand out of action by raising the wheels of the vehicle from or bringingsaid wheels into engagement with a supporting-surface.

2. In mechanical toys, at motor-controlled driving-axle having movementto and from the body of the vehicle to which it is applied, and a checkfor the motor, operated by the movement of the axle, as set forth. 1

3. In mechanical toys, a driving-axle for a vehicle, a motor for thedriving-axle, a projection from the axle and a stop arranged forengagement with the projection, the projection and stop beingautomatically brought intoengagementwhen the vehicle is placed upon asurface upon which'it is adapted to travel, said stop and projectionbeing immediately carried out of engagement when the vehicle is raisedfrom said surface, the engagement of the stop and projection serving toprevent an expenditure of power on the part of the motor.

4. A driving-axle fora vehicle, a motor having driving connection withsaid axle, the motor having movement to and from the vehicle-body, astop carried by the fixed support, and a projection from thedriving-axle, ar-

ranged for engagement with the said stop and for disengagement from thestop through the weight of the vehicle with which the axle is connected.

5. A driving-axle for a toy vehicle, a fixed support for the axle, inwhich fixed support the said axle has sliding movement, a stop carriedby one of the said supports, a projection from the axle, adapted toengage with the stop when the axle is in one position, the said stopbeing out of engagement with the projection from the axle when said axleis in its other position, and a motor connected with said axle, asdescribed.

6. In toy vehicles, the combination, with the body of the vehicle, axlesfor the same, the driving-axle having movement in its pedestals to andfrom the body, of a motor connected with the driving-axle and havingpivotal connection with the body of the vehicle,

motor, whereby said axle is rotated and thevehicle propelled, said axlebeing capable of a rising-and-falling motion relatively to the saidbody, a ratchet carried by said axle, and an arm arranged to engage saidratchet as the axle falls, and check its rotation, substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination, with a vehicle-body having a motor, an axle rotatedby said motor, a ratchet on said axle, a locking-arm for engagingsaidratchet, means for moving said axle away from said body and carryingsaid ratchet into'engagement with said lockingarm, substantially asdescribed.

9. The combination, with a vehicle-body, of a rotating axle, means formoving said axle relatively to said body, and means for locking saidaxle from rotating when it is moved away from said body, substantiallyas described.

, 10. The combination of a vehicle-body having slotted lugs, an axleheld in said slotted lugs, whereby said axle is capable of moving towardor away from said body, wheels attached to said axle, one of said wheelshaving ratchet-shaped teeth, an arm arranged to engage'said teeth whenthe axle is moved away from said body, and means for rotating said axleagainst said arm, substantially as described.

11. In a toy vehicle, the combination with a body and an axle carriedbysaid body and catpable of a falling motion as the body is raised, of amotor applied to propel the vehicle, and

means con trolled'by said falling axle to check the movement of thevehicle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of .two subscribing witnesses.

ATHERTON D. CONVERSE.

